Some people are lazy in taking a Shaikh.
Whereas, some do not get a new Shaikh after the demise of the first one.
These are our shortcomings.
We should strife to make sure that not a single day or night passes by on us without we being under the guidance of a Shaikh (graduate spiritual mentor).
Hayyat e Sarwar db, page 86
A Collection of Speeches by sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) taken from Discourses on Islamic Way Of Life.
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Hakim al-Ummah Mawlana Ashraf `Ali Thanawi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
“Allah Most High has put this quality in humans that they are quickly and substantially affected by the thoughts and conditions of others.
[This occurs even] without any specific effort, and happens whether it is good or bad company.
Good company is an element of immense benefit; in the same way, bad company is an element of tremendous harm.
Good company is of such a person who, based on the need, has a grasp on the issues of Deen, and one has good faith in him. He abstains from Shirk, innovation, and worldly affairs. His actions are good, and he is firm and constant in his Salah, fasting, and other necessary acts of worship. His dealings are good and his transactions are clean. He is careful about issues of Halal and Haram. His outward behavior is also excellent. He has a humble disposition and he does not harm anyone without reason. He does not consider the poor and needy to be inferior. His inner qualities are also pleasing. He keeps the love and fear of Allah Most High in his heart. He does not keep much greed for the world in his heart. [When in] conflict with the Deen, he does not care for wealth, comfort, or disgrace. He keeps the Hereafter in front of him, and does not keep this world dear to him. He is patient and thankful in every circumstance.
If someone is found with these qualities, his company is an elixir.
If someone cannot fully recognize these qualities, for him (assistance in) recognition is to seek the pious people of his time, those who are considered by most Muslims to be pious. They should speak well (of him). And after remaining in his company several times, the heart should shy away from blameworthy traits and turn towards praiseworthy morals. Consider such a person to be pious and adopt his company.”
Hayat al-Muslimeen, p. 27 (Multan: Idara Ta’lifaat Ashrafiya)
By Brother I. Khan
Emphasizing the importance of taking a Shaykh Mawlana Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah preserve him) said,
‘A Shaykh is needed to maintain the balance.
It is in this regards that Hadhrat Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) made such a novel statement,
‘Bring a change in yourself in such a manner that no fingers are pointed towards you.’
If in bringing about this change fingers are pointed towards you (meaning people are surprised by the sudden extreme change in you and talk openly about it) then it will be a trial (fitna) for you and chances are that you will return to your previous state.
Bring a change like a child develops gradually and becomes an adult. “
Islahi Majalis, volume 3, page 95
To bring such a change a Shaykh is indispensable.
There is a consensus among all the well established Sufi masters that the foundation stone of Tasawwuf and spiritual path (sulook) is to cleanse the nafs (lower self) of the blame worthy moral traits (razail).
This is achieved by the aspirant using his determination (himmat) to act against the desires of his nafs.
This acting against the nafs is called the spiritual struggle (mujahidah), endeavor (riyadah) and jihad al-akbar.
Neither excessive remembrance (dhikr), offering supererogatory salah, recitation of litanies and Holy Quran nor even the observance of the essentials (faraiz) disciplines the nafs. This is because the role of these things in removal of blame worthy characteristics is that of secondary assistance and not primary treatment. The individual will receive their reward and merits respectively. However, it is against the norms set by Allah that the nafs be disciplined without meticulous spiritual struggle (mujahidah).
This is the reason we observe that most of the religious individuals are inflicted with blame worthy moral characteristics in spite of their extra worship.
Ahzab tahzib un nafus, Munajat e maqbool, (zamimajat, Saeedi) page 301
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In summary excellent conduct (husun al-khuluq) is that,
1. In reply to harm and incitement by others one makes supplication (dua) for them or acts in an exemplary good manner.
2. Not to pay attention to the misconduct of others in the first place (i.e Ignore it).
3. Not being selfish.
4. Being very cautious not to become angry.
5. Be extremely careful not to be arrogant.
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Ahzab tahzib un nafus, Munajat e maqbool, ((zamimajat, Saeedi)) page 306
Vienna airport
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‘Considering one’s self to be sincere is in it self a sign of lack of sincerity.’
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Ahzab tahzib un nafus, Munajat e maqbool, ((zamimajat, Saeedi)) page 302
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ECCMID 2010, Vienna, Austria
Recently it was mentioned that in Tasawwuf error and misguidance is most of the time because of a delusional state resulting from lay public admiration and following.
Hakim al-Umma Shaykh Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) elaborated this very nicely in an anecdote.
There was an individual who owned a horse. This horse was of no use to him. It was a huge, lazy, stubborn and stolid creature. He ate a lot , defecated and farted much. And was totally unproductive. Involving him in any chore led to more trouble than ease in effort of the work. The owner tried everything possible to make him useful. However, neither reward nor punishment worked. He even resorted to amulets and wazifas. All in vain. Exasperated by this irritating creature the owner decided to get rid of him.
He went to the local market to sell this horse. He was approached by a shrewd professional agent who offered his services for selling in return for a decent commission. They agreed on it after some haggling.
The agent brought the animal on the exhibition stall and proceeded with his introduction to draw in customers. In his smart and domineering style he spoke about the noble ancestry of this Arabian stallion. He elaborated on the physical beauty of the animal. Stressing that this steed was worth a fortune. An appropriate gift for a prince. Exalting his enormous strength and stamina. Exaggerating enormously that how economically he ate and how well trained and sharp he was. A life time bargain for sale at a nominal price. He started the bidding.
The horse owner stood mesmerized at the agent’s artful speech. Before anyone else could utter a bidding price he rushed towards the agent and told him that he had changed his mind. He did not want to sell such a magnificent horse with so many qualities. He felt honored to own it.
Similar is my condition. I am well aware of my shortcomings, sins and gross transgression of Shariah,however, the kind comments, praise and admiration of others lead me to believe that there must be something special about me.
This is the self delusion.
It is very common in the religious elite.
A complete antithesis to the teachings of Tasawwuf!
Hakim al-Umma Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him) said:
“It is from suhba (pious companionship) that deen (religion) is acquired.
I swear to it that deen can not be obtained from books!
Formal religious knowledge may be achieved via reading, but true religiosity can never be obtained without serving eagerly at the footsteps of a master.
Akbar (Allahbadi ra) who was a fine poet and his verses had wisdom in them, said
دین ہوتا ہے بزرگوں کی نظر سے پیدا
Awaj e Qanowj, page 82
We live in peculiar times. Moral degradation, deception and selfishness are rampant. None of the facets of human life are spared. Neither the religion of Islam nor its sublime application in form of Tasawwuf are an exception.
For Tasawwuf in very few cases this is in active form (i.e active deception and fraud), sometimes it is due to ignorance and most of the time it is because of a delusional state resulting from lay public admiration and following.
Hence it is essential to be on high alert when approaching Tasawwuf and spiritual masters. A minor lapse can end up in a major disaster, especially in here-after.
No silsilaof Tasawwuf is spared. For this reason relying only on a ijazah certification is grossly inappropriate. A thorough evaluation is recommended before committing to a Shaykh.
Senior Shuyukh continue to evaluate their khulafa on a regular basis and revoke the permission ( ijaza) granted to them if necessary. Any suspicious activity by any of the khulafa needs to be reported to his Shaykh.
For a seeker following are some of the points that should raise red flags and alert him/her to be more cautious in this context. They are from the teachings of Hakim al-Umma Shaykh Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi (Allah have mercy on him).
1. The preaching and propagation are for a specific Shaykh and Tariqa. All others Islamic groups and activities are looked down upon.
2. There are boastful claims (kashaf o karamat, dreams) and self-eulogies by the Shaykh himself or those close to him.
3. The rituals and customs are given preference over Sunna and piety in everyday life. The hierarchy of fiqh is ignored. The reward-able (mustaheb) actions are done as though they are essential (wajib).
4. There is micromanagement of murid‘s affair. That is, vital financial, social interaction and marital issue decisions are made by Shaykh.
5. There are financial schemes for donations or investments by Shaykh or his representatives.
6. The tariqa teachings are imposed on the seeker to the extent beyond their current yearning and capabilities. The instructions given to and restrictions set are unrealistic for their current spiritual state.
7. The inappropriate actions of senior or close murids are ignored.
8. People are actively recruited by senior and close murids to make baiyah without having a clear understanding of the commitment.
9. All those who approach for baiyah are accepted immediately.
10. None or limited individualized guidance and follow up is possible from the Shaykh.
11. The established text and teachings of the previous spiritual masters of the tariqa are ignored. In our case they are the books & teachings of Hakim al-Umma in particular.
12. Emphasis is on a physical structure of khanqah or zawiya than on the spiritual tarbiyat.
13. Specific type or color headgear and particular style of attire becomes the hallmark of the silsila.
14. The majority of the followers are lay people and their spiritual condition has not changed in spite of being with the silsila for considerable amount of time.
15. The non-scholar sufi masters do not refer fiqhi questions to the scholars. Moreover they actively create mistrust of scholars in general.
16. The issues discussed in spiritual talks are beyond the comprehension and practical benefit of an ordinary seeker.
17. All genuine criticism is taken negatively. The reply is reflective of poor adab and blameworthy morals. It does not lead to introspection and improvement.
Etcetra.
In summary, it is essential to be very careful before committing our most precious thing: faith (eman). A thorough investigation is essential.
And remember it is never to late to do so.
May Allah save us all. Amin!
An individual asked that the pious usually instruct their disciples to develop determination (himmat) for doing good deeds and abstaining from sinful acts. What is the method to develop this determination?
Hakim al-Umma’s khalifa Shaykh Mawlana Khair Mohammad Jalandhari (Allah have mercy on them) replied,
‘The heartfelt acknowledgment of the significance and the importance of a matter instinctively creates the determination (for action).
For example, when one has to travel for an important journey and the train leaves at midnight it is reflexively that one prepares to do so.’
Khair us Sawanih, page 308
